Tape dispensing device



Dec. 16, 1958 D. M. GANZ 2,864,496

TAPE DISPENSING DEVICE Filed June 12, 1957 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS DANIEL M. GANZ Unite The present invention relates generally to an improved ribbonand/ or tape dispenser, and in particular to an proved means for cutting tape or ribbonas it is dispensed from a roll.

Many individuals and commercial users are faced with the problem of measuring and cutting ribbon m d/er tape for gift wrapping and the like. The present practice to dispense, by pulling off, the required amount of-tape or ribbon from its spool or holder and then in a second separate operation, to cut the ribbon with .a scissors, knife or like cutting instrument.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dispenser which will b oth besuitable for dispensing the ribbon or tape and 'at-xthe same time will serve as a cutter thereby enabling the :user to cut a measured length of ribbon or tape in a;single operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved means for association with a tape ,dispenser which enables the cutting of ,a prescribed length of tape pulled from the dispenser'and the simultaneous clamping of the roll of tape during the cuttingoperation.

Conventional dispensers usually comprise an inner drum around which the tape or ribbon is wrapped or spooled. This inner drum for theroll of tape or ribbon is mounted in such a Way as to allow the tape :or ribbon to be unspooled or unwound when the user wishes .to dispense a desired length of tape or ribbon.

In accordance with the ,present invention a ,eombined cutting and locking member is mounted on the tape .dispenser in operative relation to the roll tof tape .or ribbon so that it may serve both for the cutting oil of aprescribed. length of tape 1 and the simultaneous locking pf the roll of tape against rotation during the cutting qperation. The combined cutting and locking member is rockably mounted by coaxial pivots on the dispenser'bodywhereby as one end, provided with cutting vmeans, is elevated relative to the body, the other end, provided with locking means is depressed intocontact with the periphery ofthe roll to eifectively lock the same'raigainstrotationg Thus by asimple manual manipulation, the usert-ma y dispense and cut off a prescribed length-of ribbon-like material. The simplicity of the construction facilitates -it s,use on the type :of dispensers which are. disposed of .after. the ribbon or tape-carried thereby ,is exhausted. 1

- he abovebrief description as ,Wfill as ,further objects, features and advantages of the present ,invention ,willbe more fully. appreciated: by reference to the f olloowin g, detailed description of presently preferred but illustrative embodiments, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the various components of a tape dispenser in accordance with the present invention before said components' have been assembled;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the tape dispenser in the hands of a user and in position for the cut-off of a prescribed length of tape;

States Patent Fig. 3 is a 'sideelevational view, withparts broken away and sectioned; showing theqrelationship of, the p voted cutting and locking member relative'to the, roll of tape oil ribbon and illustrating in broken lines, the position of said member during thecutting operafiQ l;

Fig. 4 is an elevationalviewtakenfrom. therightof Fi 3,;;-iand,-

- 5 "is a side: eleva ionalvi w, w h par s. seq i psd, sh wing a tap ispenser embody n a modifi d-combi e utt g and lock n m mb r ef i 119W pec. a ly to th d awin s there i hqw 'in res 4. in us ve ea im r re ta es i sn s in a danee it he P es nt iavsatis ene l de i natesi by t e t tstease en .t c. sn-lilsseiats ire??? a 01 1; Q sa d Titers sli ssse 1.0 inc u es a two-part dispenser b y 14 which includes'parts 16 and a, wmb nesl taps whine an l w i h s o a ly man e an th d 4 s stby P h dis ms r o y. 1$ ssmpssai o t e issstisa Pare Q: t ons-1e Its-e oiwhish n s generall c cul r m er a l 162 aws? 2 wil sta u 1 1. he are; ac s of t e u 1.5 1 a a ed t shut n s n nt ea h are 3 s fl s make up an axle or rotatable mount for the roll ofYtiape he art s as vtis 11 11? 9 the b lll Ca esd t ss .s'fi-inl si li -tra s fenn of he i v ntiQm ya 22a and ada t d is be see Q s 'a its th nslias at 22b .(See Fig 2) for See ring the parts 1 8 tog ether and in as mbly w th the 9 i The wmbiad, 99 9. an illu'sgrative torrn of the my on, tampin and nssrrsrates QPPQ sl ta e- 111 M as. at

unn ons 2e5 a which a e a iaiitk t ss ess a el pi ots for th memh rp afl to mo nt th r m a meut abbu s H. 9. 9. 7 2.941,! 911 a a I W m d anfr vs Th t ust! 1 29a .29 a rf e t r, ture 2t termed- 11. I .6 Walls 16a, 18a of the dispenserbody parts 16, 18 a jacent to and pa e n d ite t e a ter psr phet s fq s walls. 'The a'ssembly' oi the combined locking eutting member 20 with. the di penser' eddy 14 may"'be achieved simultaneous with the assembly'of parts 16, -18 'by insertion of the respectivetrunn the associated holes and the bending over of the portions I of the trunnions whiph-projeet-outwardly 1115 walls,

for example as illustrated at 28 in'F igi 12. hese-eta; nions serve' to reclude' relative movement between the sections 16,18 or the body'14.

At-one end of the-member 2l l-there is provided a cut ting or knife edge 30-whieh :is seen to' extend at right angles tothe Walls 1842, 161: whereby the cutwill eittend transverse of :thetape 12. Alternatively, if a bias cutis desired across. the tape, the cutting edge 30 c'airbe disposed at an appropriate angle :with respect to th e wens 16%"1861; Y 1 j Adjacent the other end of t-helmember-20 and at-the side: .remote from the cutting knife or edge 30, there is formed a brake section: or pressure foot 32'which is adapted to contact theouter periphery 1 2a of"-the rc' l-l1-2 to exert a brake effect on 'tthe roll during the cutting operation. aIf desired the undersurface of -the pressur'e; foot or ibraketsection 32 may be formed with '-downwardlyextending (integral projections 34 serving to en-- hance thewgrippinglaction so' fithe' foot 32 on the; outer periphery 12a of the roll 12. Other similar means which increase gthe ufrictionali contactilbetween the idot 3-2 arid the outer periphery .12a may be applied to the member 20, either as an integral part thereof or as an attachment I thereto. For example, a rubber coating may be formed on theundersurface of the foot 32 to engage the roll.

10, whi h ia ap 1Q ahea i A typical sequence of operations will now, be described in detail to facilitate a more thorough understanding of the present invention: The user grasps the dispenser body 14, as illustrated in Fig. 2, with one hand:and=with the other hand'pulls olf a prescribed section of the tape, generallydesignated bythe letter T." Thereupon the user pulls upwardly on the length T to be cut off, as illustrated by the directional arrows and thedotted line showings in Fig. 3, to bring the tape against the knife or cutting edge 30. -The pressure of the tape bearing against theknifeor cutting edge 30 will tend to rotate or rock the member 20 in one direction about its coaxial pivots 20a, 20b into a clamping position (illustrated by the broken lines in Fig.3) wherein the foot or brake section 32 bears against the outer periphery 12a of the roll 12 in which clamping position the member 20 is locked against further rocking movement in said one direction. At that time the cutting edge 30 will be spaced from the periphery of the roll 12 and the continued exertion of pressure against the cutting edge30 will cause the required severance of the tape.

When. the cutting action is complete, the user can grasp the newly cut end of the roll of tape and pull the same to dispense a further length. Since no pressure will be exerted against the cutting edge 30 the. foot 30 is free to move away from the periphery of the roll 12 thereby enabling the dispensing of a further length of tap In the further embodiment illustrated, in Fig. 5, the details of the dispenser body are identical and accordingly the same has been designated by the reference numeral .14. In this embodiment the locking member 20 is of modified construction, but includes pivots 20a, ZOb'intermediate its end and the cutting edge 30' at one end thereof. In lieu of the means for clamping the roll 12 during the cutting operation employed in the main embodiment, the modified locking member 20' is formed coextensive walls adapted to receive a roll of ribbon-like material therebetween, means on said walls of said dispenser body adapted to rotatably mount said roll to enable a user to pull successive lengths of said ribbonlike material from said roll, and a combined cutting and locking member disposed between said walls in spaced confronting relation to the outer periphery of said roll, coaxial pivots on said cutting and locking member intermediate the ends thereof mounting same for rocking movement whereby one end of said member is elevated as the other end of said member is depressed, a cutter formed on said one end of said member and adapted to be engaged by said ribbon-like material as the latter is pulled from said roll,engagement of said ribbon-like material being elfective to rock said other end of said member into contact with the outer periphery of said roll, said contact between said member and said roll: being effective to lock said roll against rotation and fixing, said cutter in an elevated position for the cutting operation as said ribbon-like material is pulled back against said cutter. I

3. Incombination, a dispenser body including spaced coextensive walls, a roll of ribbon-like material disposed intermediate said walls and journaled on said dispenser body to enable a user to pull successive lengths of said ribbon-like material from said roll, and a combined cutting and locking member disposed between said walls in spaced confronting relation to the outer periphery of said roll, coaxial pivots on said cutting and locking member intermediate the ends thereof mounting same for rocking movement whereby one end of said member is elevated as the other end' of said member is depressed, and a cutter formed on said one end of said member and engageable tactwith the outer periphery of said roll.

with a downwardly-extending pressure foot or brake secti'on 32' at the end remote from the knife edge 30 which is] brought to bear against the surface 12a of the roll in response to the pivotal movement of the member 20' underthe directiveforce of the tape being pulled from the roll.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended inthe foregoing illustrative embodiments and in someinstances some featuresof the invention will be used without a corresponding use of other features.

. What I claim is: V

1. In combination, a dispenser body including spaced coextensive walls, a roll of ribbon-like material disposed intermediate said walls and journaled on said dispenser 4. In a tape dispenser including a rotatably supported roll of tape, the improvement comprising a combined roll locking and tape cutting means including a member disposed at a location adjacent to and spaced from the outer periphery of said roll, means rockably mounting said member intermediate its ends on said tape dispenser, cutting means formed on one end of said member, and locking means formed on the other end of said member, said cutting means rocking into an elevated position relative to said roll when the tape is pulled up into contact with said cutting means and said locking means simultaneously body to enable a user to pull successive lengths of said ribbon-like material from said roll, and a combined cutting and locking member'disposed between said walls in spaced confronting relation to the outer periphery of said roll, eoaxial pivots on said cutting and locking member intermediate the ends thereof mounting same for ii rocking movement whereby one end of said member is elevated as the other end of said member is depressed, a cutter formed on said one end of said member and engageable by said ribbon-like material as the latter is pulled from said roll, engagement of said ribbon-like material being effective to rock said other end of said member intocontact with the outer periphery of said roll, said contact between said member andsaid roll be ng effective to lock said roll against rotation and fixing said cutter in an elevated position for .the cutting operatlon as said ribbon-like material is'pulled back against said cutter.

2, In combination, a dispenser body incl ding sPaccd rocking into a depressed position in contact with said roll wherein said roll is locked against rotation during the cutting operation.

5. In a tape dispenser includinga dispenser body adapted to rotatably support a roll of tape, combined roll locking and tape cutting means on said dispenser body including a member disposed at a location adjacent to and spaced from the outer periphery of said roll, means mounting said member intermediate its ends on said tape dispenserfor rocking movement about a transverse pivot, cutting means formed on said member at one side of said transverse pivot, andlocking means formed on said member at the other side of said transverse pivot, said cutting means rocking into an elevated position relative to said roll when the tape is pulled up into contact withsaid cut- References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 1,100,091 France Mar. 30, 1955 

